Extreme MakeoverUnder new format, it's all in for MLS teams in 99th edition of USOC

Get ready for a US Open Cup like you’ve never seen it before.

The US Soccer Federation on Wednesday unveiled an expanded version of the domestic cup competition which will see all 16 US-based MLS clubs participating, a random selection process for home teams in select rounds and a champion crowned by the first week of August.

The MLS qualifying system employed in recent years has been scrapped and all 16 MLS teams eligible for participation – the three Canadian teams play in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship – will join the competition in the third round.

A total of 64 teams – a record number in the modern era of the USOC – will feature 32 professional teams, including all six NASL teams and all 10 USL PRO teams, as well as another 32 from the amateur ranks of the USASA (nine qualifiers), PDL (16 qualifiers), NPSL (6.5 qualifiers) and US Club Soccer (0.5 qualifiers).

Distribution of Amateur-Level Places (32 total): U.S. Adult Soccer Association Regional Qualifiers – 9 places: USASA regional qualifiers will increase their number of places in the tournament by one compared to 2011.

United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League – 16 places: The PDL will have the largest increase in representation among the amateur leagues since 2011, growing from nine slots.

National Premier Soccer League – 6.5 places: The NPSL is a national amateur league affiliated with the USASA. In previous years, its teams participated via USASA regional qualifying.

US Club Soccer – 0.5 place: U.S. Club Soccer is an organization member of U.S. Soccer. Note: One team from the National Premier Soccer League will face a US Club Soccer representative for the final place in the tournament

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup: MLS clubs learn 3rd-round pairings set for next week

All 16 US-based MLS clubs learned their opening match-ups in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after Tuesday night's second round was played.

The third-round single-elimination matches will be played between Tuesday, May 29 and Wednesday, May 30.

Half the MLS teams will be hosting matches, while another half will take to the road with the longest trips set to be logged by the MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy, who travel to North Carolina, while the Colorado Rapids go all the way to St. Petersburg, Fla.

US Open Cup: Details of 2014 edition released, featuring weekend games, largest field in modern era

US Soccer released the format, match dates and early-round pairings of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Thursday, setting out the details of the historic tournament's largest field since the advent of Major League Soccer.

Defending champions D.C. United and the other 15 US-based MLS clubs will enter the Open Cup in the fourth round in mid-June, with the potential to play their games in a window that runs June 10-18, which could lead to modern-era professional clubs playing weekend tournament games for the first time.

That rare occurrence is made possible by the World Cup break observed by MLS and second-division league NASL during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. The 101st edition of the Open Cup includes 80 teams, up from 68 last year.

• Third Round - May 28 (24 Second Round winners and 8 Division II [NASL] clubs): Each Division II team will be matched geographically to play the winner of a specific Second Round pairing. The winners of the 16 remaining Second Round matches not paired with a Division II side will play each other.

• Fourth Round - June 10-18 (16 Third Round winners vs. Division I [MLS] clubs): Each Division I team will be matched geographically to play the winner of a specific Third Round pairing. The exact date for each match will be determined by the club selected as the home team from among those dates where the visiting team does not have a league game already scheduled. The date selected must allow the visiting team at least two rest days before and after the match date.

North American Soccer League (Division II): All eight U.S.-based teams, entering in the Third RoundAtlanta SilverbacksIndy ElevenSan Antonio ScorpionsCarolina RailHawksMinnesota United FCTampa Bay RowdiesFort Lauderdale StrikersNew York Cosmos

PDL (Amateur Division): Nineteen of 56 U.S.-based teams, with 14 entering in the Second Round and five in the First Round. Clubs from each of nine regional divisions qualified based on 2013 regular season recordsAustin AztexLA MisionerosPortland Timbers U-23sBaltimore BohemiansMichigan BucksReading United A.C.Carolina DynamoOcala StampedeReal Colorado FoxesFresno FuegoOcean City Nor’easters (N.J.)Ventura County FusionGPS Portland Phoenix (Maine)Orlando City U23sVermont VoltageJersey ExpressPanama City Beach PiratesWestern Mass. PioneersLaredo Heat

U.S. Adult Soccer Association regional qualifiers: Ten teams from qualifying competitions held in each of the four U.S. Soccer regions from 63 participating at the local and state levels, with six clubs entering in the Second Round and four in the First Round.Icon FC (New Jersey)NTX Rayados (N. Texas)Cal FC (Cal. South)N.Y. Greek AmericansRed Force (Florida)PSA Elite (Cal. South)Des Moines Menace (Iowa)Mass Premier SoccerSchwaben AC (Illinois)RWB Adria (Illinois)

National Premier Soccer League (a USASA-affiliated national league): Eleven teams from 80 in the league, with six clubs entering in the Second Round and five in the First Round.Brooklyn ItaliansGreater Binghamton ThunderRVA FC (Richmond, Va.)CD Aguiluchos (Oakland)1Jacksonville UnitedSan Diego FlashChattanooga FCFC Lehigh Valley United SonicTulsa Athletics Detroit City FCNew York Red Bulls U-23s

US Club Soccer (an amateur-level Organization Member of U.S. Soccer): A single qualifier from eight who competed will enter in the First Round.Corinthians USA (SoCal)

U.S. Specialty Sports Association (an amateur-level Organization Member of U.S. Soccer): A single qualifier from eight who competed will enter in the First Round.Colorado Rovers

US Open Cup: Details of 2014 edition released, featuring weekend games, largest field in modern era

US Soccer released the format, match dates and early-round pairings of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Thursday, setting out the details of the historic tournament's largest field since the advent of Major League Soccer.

Defending champions D.C. United and the other 15 US-based MLS clubs will enter the Open Cup in the fourth round in mid-June, with the potential to play their games in a window that runs June 10-18, which could lead to modern-era professional clubs playing weekend tournament games for the first time.

That rare occurrence is made possible by the World Cup break observed by MLS and second-division league NASL during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. The 101st edition of the Open Cup includes 80 teams, up from 68 last year.

US Open Cup: Details of 2014 edition released, featuring weekend games, largest field in modern era

US Soccer released the format, match dates and early-round pairings of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Thursday, setting out the details of the historic tournament's largest field since the advent of Major League Soccer.

Defending champions D.C. United and the other 15 US-based MLS clubs will enter the Open Cup in the fourth round in mid-June, with the potential to play their games in a window that runs June 10-18, which could lead to modern-era professional clubs playing weekend tournament games for the first time.

That rare occurrence is made possible by the World Cup break observed by MLS and second-division league NASL during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. The 101st edition of the Open Cup includes 80 teams, up from 68 last year.

US Open Cup: Details of 2014 edition released, featuring weekend games, largest field in modern era[/CENTER]

US Soccer released the format, match dates and early-round pairings of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Thursday, setting out the details of the historic tournament's largest field since the advent of Major League Soccer.

Defending champions D.C. United and the other 15 US-based MLS clubs will enter the Open Cup in the fourth round in mid-June, with the potential to play their games in a window that runs June 10-18, which could lead to modern-era professional clubs playing weekend tournament games for the first time.

That rare occurrence is made possible by the World Cup break observed by MLS and second-division league NASL during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. The 101st edition of the Open Cup includes 80 teams, up from 68 last year.

FRISCO, Texas – The Philadelphia Union are heading to their first final in club history, thanks in large part to Zac MacMath's two saves in a penalty shootout to give the Philadelphia Union a 4-3 win from the spot after they battled FC Dallas to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes in the semifinals of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

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